The use of shelves to display merchandise is probably one of the most ancient forms of product display utilized by merchants. However, it is only in recent years that the merchant has become significantly aware that advanced methods of display and presentation of information results in significant increases in sales and productivity.
Under recently enacted consumer statutes, the purchasing public is given access to information regarding the product they buy. More specifically, information such as the unit price, the total price, the generic name of the product and the name of the manufacturer or trademark is usually made available to the consumer on the display. In the past this has been done by using the ticket rails normally secured to the front edge of shelves. It was also possible to place this information directly upon the front edge of a shelf should no rail be present.
One of the major problems in operation of a retail store is to know when shelf inventory is low, and restocking the required inventory in the appropriate location. In the past this has been accomplished by visual observation, making notes, going to warehouse inventory locations and taking the appropriate volume and placing it upon the shelves. In recent years, the Universal Product Code has come into great popularity, with each product having a different code.
It has become possible to simply scan the UPC Code in the front edge of shelves to articulate reorder needs, with reorder inventory delivered to the location. This greatly improves the productivity and efficiency of stocking depleted shelves.
Such information also must be visually available to the store personnel. It is possible to place the consumer information and reorder codes side by side on the front edge of shelves. However, this results in much scrambled information at each product location, and causes confusion in the minds of the consumer, who cannot digest it.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved consumer information/reorder code display device which allows both consumer and store reorder information to be visible, as required.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved display device which visually discloses only consumer information under normal circumstances.
Still a further object of the present invention is to provide an invention of the character described in which simple rotation of a portion of the invention results in visual display of the information required by the store personnel for reorder purposes.
Still yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a display device which presents a pleasing and attractive appearance.
Still yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a display device of the character described which may be adaptable for mounting to the front edge of a shelf and which is therefore usuable with existing shelf structures.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a display device which may be readily secured to any style, size, or configuration of ticket rail.
Still yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a display device of the character described which will be simple and inexpensive to manufacture and yet be durable to a high degree in use.
In accordance with the above and other objects, the display device of the present invention includes a bracket which is adapted to be secured to the front surface of a shelf or the front surface of a ticket rail secured to the front surface of a shelf. The bracket carries a support member extending therefrom. The support member is rigidly secured to the bracket and has means to rotably grip a data-carrying member having a front surface upon which is displayed consumer information and a rear surface upon which is displayed reorder information for the store personnel. The data-carrying member is hinged to the support member either by a interlocking bead and hook type hinge or by a living hinge, depending upon the materials used for fabrication of the invention. The data-carrying member has channels so that there can be a interchange of display information.